As the UTPB football team was going through its growing pains during the infancy of the program, opponents would add verbal assaults to the totals running up the scoreboard.
Now, the Falcons have turned the corner and become a team capable of winning each time it takes the field.
Lone Star Conference and nonconference foes alike are getting first-hand confirmation of the change.
It was West Texas A&M’s turn Saturday night and the Buffaloes quickly, and often, showed their displeasure with the changes happening in the pecking order.
The teams combined for 195 yards in penalties, most of them of the unsportsmanlike conduct variety that resulted in at least one ejection, as the Falcons took control early in the second half and ran away to a 42-31 victory at Ratliff Stadium.
It was UTPB’s eighth consecutive victory, dating back to November, 2019, against Texas A&M-Kingsville.
The Falcons (2-0 overall, 1-0 in conference) also defeated West Texas A&M (1-1, 0-1) for the first time in five meetings.
“Think there is a little bit of history, you know,” UTPB quarterback Clayton Roberts said. “That’s a team we’ve wanted to beat for a while; I don’t know if they really respected us to the fullest.
“I think they were a little upset.”
Roberts and the Falcons receiving corps was a huge reason for the Buffaloes angst as he completed 23 of 32 passes for 281 yards and a school single-game record six touchdowns.
Wide receivers MJ Link and Jordan Smart each caught two touchdown passes, with Matt Zubiate and Nate Tilford each finishing with one scoring catch.
Link caught 13 passes for 140 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass that saw him catch a pass coming in from the right, plant his left foot for an immediate direction change to allow a pair of defenders race by and then spin back to the right to race down the sideline for the score.
The yards after catch put a smile on Roberts’ face when asked about his record-setting night.
“The best part about it is the stat line it says an 80-yard pass and I only threw it five yards,” Robert said. “That’s awesome, you know, we have a lot of guys like that and to see it actually happen is positive for everybody.”
The Falcons’ defense rose up when needed against West Texas A&M quarterback Nick Gerber and running back Khalil Harris.
Gerber finished 25-of-39 passing for 261 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.
Harris rushed 21 times for 94 yards and two scores as UTBP often times needed multiple players in on the tackle to get him to the ground.
The Falcons biggest defensive effort came on the Buffaloes’ first drive of the fourth quarter, after Harris had scored near the end of the third quarter to cut into UTPB’s lead (42-24).
Gerber was driving West Texas A&M, moving his team from the Buffs’ 8 to the UTPB 31 in six plays.
The seventh play would prove to be lucky for the Falcons as defensive back Trent Ward, racing stride for stride with the receiver, had the inside position and dove at the goal line and into the end zone to make the interception with 10:10 to play in the game to stop the threat.
“An incredible play,” UTPB head coach Justin Carrigan said of the interception. “Big time play in the moment.
“Our secondary’s deep, all of them have the ability to make those kind of plays. That’s a big time play.”
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
UTPB 42, WEST TEXAS A&M 31
West Texas A&M…… 7.. 10 7 7 — 31
UTPB………………….. 14…. 7 21 0 — 42
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
UTPB: Matt Zubiate 7 pass from Clayton Roberts (Carson Roberts), 5:36 p.m. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 7:05.
West Texas: Khalil Harris 1 run (Gage Urias kick), 2:31. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:55.
UTPB: MJ Link 53 pass from Clayton Roberts (Carson Roberts), 1:11. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:12.
Second Quarter
West Texas: Jeremie Karngbaye 5 pass from Nick Gerber (Gage Urias), 13:49. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:22.
UTPB: Nate Tilford 10 pass from Clayton Roberts (Carson Roberts kick), 9:30. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:19.
West Texas: FG Gage Urias 32, :00. Drive: 13 plays, 42 yards, 4:52.
Third Quarter
UTPB: MJ Llink 44 pass from Clayton Roberts (Carson Roberts kick), 13:47. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 1:13.
UTPB: Jordan Smart 13 pass from Clayton Roberts (Carson Roberts kick), 6:10. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:01.
UTPB: Jordan Smart 26 pass from Clayton Roberts (Carson Roberts kick), 2:43. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:21.
West Texas: Khalil Harris 1 run (Gage Urias kick), :36. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:59.
Fourth Quarter
West Texas: Markell Stephens-Peppers 8 pass from Nick Gerber (Gage Urias), 2:13. Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 3:6.
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TEAM STATISTICS
West Texas UTPB
First Downs…………………… 26……………….. 21
Total Yards…………………. 392……………… 408
Rushes-Yards………… 35-131…………. 34-137
Passing……………………… 261……………… 281
Comp-Att-Int…………. 25-39-2……….. 23-32-0
Sacks…………………………. 1-7………………. 1-8
Return yards…………………. 97……………….. 18
Fumbles-Lost………………. 1-0………………. 0-0
Punts-Avg……………….. 1-21.0………….. 4-35.2
Penalties-Yards…………. 8-75…………. 11-120
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
West Texas: Khalil Harris 21-94, Teams 3-14, Brandon Blair 1-14, Nick Gerber 6-8, Tyrie Tipton 1-1, Maxwell Perez 1-1, Jarrod Compton 2-(-1).
UTPB: Nate Tilford 14-76, Jayvon Davis 8-25, Team 4-16, Clayton Roberts 6-9, Adrian Walker 2-2.
Passing
West Texas: Nick Gerber 25-39-2—261.
UTPB: Clayton Roberts 23-32-0—281
Receiving
West Texas: Markell Stephens-Peppers 6-66; Noah Bogardus 7-41, Tyrie Tipton 5-34, Jeremie Karngbaye 3-23, Caleb Ollison 2-37, Hunter Kaufman 4-16, Jarrod Compton, 3-14, Khalil Harris 2-8, Brandon Blair 1-6, Isaiah Smallwood 1-4.
UTPB: MJ Link 13-140, Kobe Robinson 6-33, Jordan Smart 6-72, Gunnar Asbeck 1-18, Nate Tilford 1-10, Matt Zubiate 1-7, Jayvon Davis 2-1, Brock Johnson 1-0, Baylon Ware 1-0.
Interceptions
West Texas: None.
UTPB: Donta Smart 1-0, Trent Ward 1-0.
